Pat Travers used to be one of the (arguably) unsung rock/metal guitarists of his time; that time being the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. After the limelight faded, Travers kept himself busy exploring his love of the blues and fell off the radar of most metal fans. That said, he came back in 2012 with a barn stormer of a rock album, CAN DO. In leading up to that album, Pat took his crack band on tour, culminating in a pair of shows in New York City, which the band recorded for this 12-track live album.

Right off the top I’ll tell you, if you were hoping that Travers’ biggest hits from his heyday are here, they aren’t. While he does touch on some of his classic stuff, the big hits like “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights” and “Snortin’ Whiskey” are missing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, as it gives the band room to stretch their wings with some lesser known tracks. The unfortunate balance of that is many of the songs are blues which may or may not be of interest to you. Some, like the lively “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day” are entertaining, but on the whole, I couldn’t help wishing for some more rocking material.

As for the songs captured, they sound great, and Travers and his band play their asses off. Travers’ gruff, expressive voice perfectly fits the steamy blues riffs that make up the majority of the album. Older chestnuts like “Crash and Burn” still sound great and mix well with the blues cuts. From a performance perspective, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about.

For most live albums, you have to take the track listing as a moment in time, and not get too worked up about which songs are included and which aren’t. However, with LIVE AT THE IRIDIUM, it makes all the difference, which is why I’ve “only” given this a 3/5. That said, if you like a heavy dose of blues, then you can add a full point and consider this a 4/5 a consider it a “must buy”.